The United Nations has urgently appealed for an additional $41.6 million to strengthen the new African Union Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), as the UN Security Council held a closed-door meeting on Monday to discuss the mission’s deteriorating financial situation.
The meeting, requested by Somalia and the United Kingdom, focused on filling the funding gap for AUSSOM, which officially replaced ATMIS on January 1, 2025.
“The funding gap for AUSSOM has become a major concern. If timely support is not provided, the mission risks facing a setback at a time when security in the country is particularly fragile,” the UN said.
Resolution 2767, adopted by the Security Council in December 2024, formally endorsed the transition from ATMIS, authorizing African Union member states to take the necessary steps to support AUSSOM for a period of 12 months.
However, the mission’s full inclusion in the UN tax system is awaiting another decision by the Security Council on May 15.
Ultimately, the United States government strongly opposed paying any money to AUSSOM through the 2719 model, stating that Somalia did not qualify for that model and that other funding mechanisms were needed.
